Letter from the Chair: Maria Noblet (Summer 2009)

As we merge with the larger RCN Cancer Forum, we have so much to be proud of as breast care specialists

This is the final RCN Breast Care Nursing News as we are soon to amalgamate with the RCN Cancer Forum (you can read about this change here). Over the years the Breast Care Nurses Forum has been very active on your behalf, with committee members representing BCNs at national level at the Department of Health, NICE, National Mastectomy and Reconstruction Audit, accredited training for the national Communication Skills Programme and BASO, for example.

A previous Forum Chair, Sylvia Denton, became RCN President, and we've often had all four UK countries represented on the committee, as indeed is currently the case.

Getting good practice into print

We've produced a number of publications:

  • Bone health and standards for breast care nurses
  • Breast cancer and bone health: optimum care of osteoporosis and bone metastases in people affected by breast cancer
  • Breast palpitation and breast awareness: the role of the nurse
  • Clinical standards for working in a breast speciality. RCN guidance for nursing staff
  • Time to care: maintaining access to breast care nurses (with Breast Cancer Care)
  • Developing roles: nurses working in breast care
  • New directions in nursing: advanced nursing practice in breast cancer care
  • Breast palpitation and breast awareness: guidelines for practice.

Several members have written or contributed to breast cancer nursing texts. Most recently, Emma Pennary co-authored Breast cancer: answers at your fingertips. Carmel Shepperd contributed to a book on communications and loss, and Vikki Harmer edited and is awaiting publication of the second edition of her textbook, Breast cancer nursing care and management (and Sylvia Denton also edited a forerunner to Vikki's book).

Committee members regularly have articles published in academic journals such as European Journal of Oncology Nursing, Cancer Nursing Practice, European Journal of Cancer Care, Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, and Journal of Clinical Oncology.

So what's ahead?

In the new Cancer Forum, two current members will be on the amalgamated committee for a period of time although it's not been clarified who they will be (forum elections are in July). An issue for us is that BCNs from all four countries won't be represented on the enlarged forum committee so if you have concerns or questions to raise, do contact the Breast Care Forum members on the larger committee.

There will still be a breast care conference later this year in Manchester (see our Events page) and the RCN Breast Care Community and Discussion Zone will continue on the RCN website at: www.rcn.org.uk/breastcare .
Again, use these opportunities to discuss issues in our specialism. The Cancer Forum Community pages are at:
www.rcn.org.uk/cancer (to contribute to the community pages, email: community.editor@rcn.org.uk). This is the last issue of Breast Care Nursing News, and instead you will receive an email newsletter from the new forum.

Over the years we have campaigned for and supported breast care nurses and patients, and we will continue this work as part of the Cancer Forum, while also lobbying for the two issues that we raised at December's conference.

From myself and on behalf of all previous and current members of the steering committee, thank you so much for your support over the years. Do continue to support the Cancer Forum and become involved yourself in the issues that are important to you and your patients.

See you in Manchester!